Which term describes the sequence of changes that occur in an ecosystem after a

disturbance?

species diversification

ecological succession

ecosystem resilience

Which of the following best describes ecosystem resilience?

how readily an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

the degree to which species interact with one another in an ecosystem

the sequence of changes in an ecosystem in response to a disturbance

As the complexity of an ecosystem decreases, what happens to the ecosystem’s resilience to

disturbance?

Resilience decreases.

Resilience increases.

Resilience remains about the same.

What does it mean for Community A to have a greater species richness than Community B?

Community A contains more resources per individual than Community B.

Community A contains a more even spread of individuals across each species than Community
B.

Community A contains a greater number of species than Community B.

Community A has a more complex food web than Community B.

During a study, scientists planted 100 identical plots of land, or “mini-ecosystems”, in a natural setting,
each with 1 to 15 different species of native grasses. Over the next 10 years, the scientists recorded the
change in biomass in each plot as a measure of stability.

Which of the following graphs shows the most likely result from the study regarding the
relationship between species number and ecosystem stability?
The relative abundance of species in two aquatic communities is shown in the following table.
Each community contains roughly the same number of individuals.

Based on the information in the table, which of the following statements most accurately
compares the species diversity in Communities A and B?

Community A has greater species diversity than Community B.

Community A and Community B have equal species diversity.

Community B has greater species diversity than Community A.

Which of the following examples best describes a disturbance that is likely to result in
significant, long-lasting changes to an ecosystem?
Temperatures regularly fluctuate from 35°F at night to 102 ° F during the day.

Cactus wrens nest in cacti, which provide the wrens protection from predators.

A landslide covers a large area of desert with dirt and debris.

The diagrams below represent the species interactions within three different ecosystems. The letters in
each diagram represent different species.

Which ecosystem is likely to be the most resilient when challenged by an environmental

disturbance?

Which of the following human activities is an example of overexploitation of natural

resources?

the logging of vast forested areas without replanting trees

the commercial farming of large numbers of cod in inland tanks

the accumulation of chemical runoff in rivers from factory waste

A group of scientists is studying a population of spotted lanternflies in the eastern United States, where
the insects are considered an invasive species.

Which of the following is most likely true about the lanternfly population?
It outcompetes other insect populations for food.

It helps maintain the stability of the ecosystem.

It has more than one type of predator in its range.

It is native to the eastern United States.

Which of the following examples best illustrates a direct effect of pollution on a component of
an ecosystem?

Melting sea ice reduces the amount of habitat available for seals to raise their young and hunt
for prey.

Newly hatched sea turtles navigate inland toward lights of houses rather than out to sea toward
moonlight reflecting off the ocean.

The building of cities in previously-forested areas forces macaque monkeys to move into the
cities and adapt to life alongside humans.

Which of the following best illustrates how climate change can affect an ecosystem?

A lightning storm causes a fire that clears large areas of a forest ecosystem, eliminating dead
brush and exposing new areas to sunlight.

Trawling in a marine ecosystem removes large quantities of fish and destroys corals, decreasing
the amount of available food and habitat resources.

Consistent, lower-than-average winter snowfall in a mountain ecosystem causes a decrease in

water supply to rivers later in the year, impacting the survival of some populations.